


Tomorrow

by Heatherling



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Fake Science, Friendship, Kink Meme, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-15
Updated: 2013-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-15 01:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/843773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heatherling/pseuds/Heatherling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My response to this prompt posted on st_xi_kink:</p><p>"AU, where Pike is still the Captain, and Spock is the First Officer.</p><p>When Spock first got onto the ship he heard it is haunted by a ghost but didn't believe in the rumour because ghosts are illogical. Spock meets Lt. Kirk who seems the only one (besides Spock) who doesn't believe in the ghost. Spock finds Kirk's company quite entertaining and soon they become friends.</p><p>And they could live happilly ever after if Spock didn't discover that there is no James Kirk on the list of the Enterprise crew...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, let me just say that I have no idea about the laws of physics and the structures of the ST universe. I totally made up some of the things, since I am new to ST fandom. Also, a small warning - you may find some mistakes and some typos - please forgive me if I butchered the language and the grammar a bit. :)
> 
> Also, feedback is most welcome. :D

They say _Enterprise_ is a haunted ship. They say there are strange things going on onboard the ship and even though there were no witnesses, the crew believes that they have a ghost on the ship. 

_Enterprise_ is a really good ship. It’s new and the bravest and the smartest people were assigned to that ship. This is why Spock applied for the place of the First Officer on that vessel. It was both stimulating and calming to be there. 

People were quite friendly, unlike cadets at the Academy. People on Earth were a bit tentative around him, probably because of his Vulcan heritage. Spock assumed it was because of the location. Earth was their home. But in space they all shared the same fate, the same vessel, and the planet they were from had no matter in this situation. 

This is where his work was most effective. Things which distracted him on Earth, weren’t able to get to him here, even though some of them were still irritating. Captain Pike tormented Spock by telling him that this is how one ‘feels at home’, despite Spock’s explanations that Vulcans are not capable of experiencing this feeling or emotions in general. Pike would just smile and turn his attention elsewhere. 

Sometimes, though, Spock did admit to himself that he is most comfortable on _Enterprise_. More than when he still lived on Vulcan, even. 

First Officer Spock took his replicated meal and turned around to walk towards one of many empty tables, when he suddenly bumped into another person. 

The tray with his food slipped from his fingers and down to the floor. The food remained mainly on the tray although several bits fell off the tray.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” A young man, Lieutenant – Spock saw the markings on the uniform – bent down to gather the remains of the meal. “I really didn’t mean to walk into you.”

“Apology is not necessary.” Spock replied crouching down next to the man and gathering the food back onto tray. He didn’t say that he should have been able to hear or sense the Lieutenant’s presence. He must have been too preoccupied with thinking about his place on the _Enterprise_. 

“Are you for real?” the other man asked, lifting the tray and walking to the nearest table. He set the tray down, and sat on the opposite side. Spock followed and took his place at the tray.

“You question does not seem to have any meaning since I am, as you said, for real. The simple fact that you are capable to see me and to hear me proves your question illogical.”

The man smiled, amused.

“My name is Jim. Jim Kirk.”

“I am Spock.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr Spock. How do you like _Enterprise_ so far?”

“I find it quite stimulating and demanding. Also, it is the chance to live with humans and to learn more about your species.”

Jim watched as Spock dug through his meal.

“May I enquire to what are you doing here at such a late hour?”

Jim lifted his eyebrows. Spock decided he has never seen such blue eyes. Fascinating. Actually, almost everything about Jim was truly magnificent. He was the first human to start a conversation with him without a blink of an eye. He seemed to pay no attention to Spock being a Vulcan. 

They barely met but Spock already sensed waves of positive emotions coming from Lt. Kirk. 

“I was just wandering around, trying to find something to do to relax after a hard day. But without any success.” He smirked. Spock lifted an eyebrow. 

“I would recommend chess as a relaxing activity, but I recently discovered humans have difficulties with grasping the rules of the game.”

“Hey! I can play chess.” Jim frowned, slightly indignant.

“I meant the tridimensional version of the game.” Spock explained pointedly.

“I can play 3D chess.” Jim grinned and straightened a bit, seeming rather proud of this. Then his face took almost serene look. “What about a game of chess tomorrow? I doubt there would be anyone else on this ship who could play the game with you.”

Spock doubted Lt. Kirk had any considerable chances but agreed anyway. Even a game with somebody inexperienced would be more entertaining than no game at all.

“Very well.” He agreed. “Tomorrow it is.”

Kirk smiled at him, like this simple game of chess was something crucial in his life. Well, Spock had a chance to investigate it further. 

The other man kept him company for some time and when Spock finished his meal, Jim left, reminding Spock of their meeting the next day.

This should be a very interesting game.

***

The 3D chess game was, in fact, truly irritating. Kirk had no strategy, he was making moves which were illogical and inessential, but he won two out of three games. 

Also, the human seemed to enjoy arguing that Spock surely must feel at least a bit frustrated. Every time Spock reminded him that he was Vulcan and he wasn’t able to experience emotions.

And despite they were so different from each other, they seemed to get along pretty well. Spock never spent so much time with a human when it wasn’t regarding an important matter. Of course, he didn’t count his mother because she partly accepted the Vulcan way, and he couldn’t compare her to illogical and chaotic humans.

“What are you thinking, Mr. Spock?” There was amusement in Kirk’s voice. That was something new for the Vulcan, because usually people, when addressing him, were trying to be at least serious. 

“I’m contemplating on your species’ tendency to ignore logic.” He simply said, lifting his eyes from the chessboard. 

Kirk smirked.

“There are some things in this world which can be understood only after pushing the logic aside.”

“Illogical.” Spock simply murmured and watched his king being surrounded. Again.

“Check mate.”

The Vulcan narrowed his eyes and let out a short huff. 

“I’ll say you are quite irritated.” 

Spock would normally argue but that seemed to have no effect on the human, so he simply lifted an eyebrow. 

“Would you like to play once more?”

“You just don’t give up, do you?”

Spock didn’t answer. Instead, he set the chess ready for another game.

***

Captain Pike, despite to his reputation, also seemed to believe in the ghost. At first the Captain was quite surprised when he found out that Spock didn’t encounter any strange circumstances. Every new member of staff sooner or later reported strange fluctuations in the power circuits, changes in their replicated food orders or problems with the communication. 

Spock reported no such thing since he joined the crew. Which was over five months ago.

“Mr. Spock, we have received new orders from the Starfleet and it seems we can allow ourselves for a small break in our mission. We are going to stop by at Starbase Eight to refresh our medical supplies. It might take some time and since you have worked very hard I thought you might enjoy some free time, away from the ship full of humans.” 

Pike smiled slightly at Spock and waited for his answer. 

“Come on, Spock. You have to relax sometime and forget about work.”

“Is this necessary, Captain?” Spock asked. He didn’t need to leave the ship to relax. The Vulcan meditation techniques were sufficient for his well being. 

“Not really. But you are entitled to shore leave as any other person here on this ship. I’m just worried about you. You haven’t joined any leisure activities outside of your scientific research even though you were invited many times.”

“I must disagree, Captain. I have, on numerous occasions engaged in such activities. I regularly play chess which, in fact, is quite refreshing.”

Christopher Pike frowned. He could swear the Vulcan never even looked at the chess in the common room.

“Is that so?” he asked, trying not to sound too surprised. It wasn’t the fact that Spock did have a life outside his work. It was that nobody noticed anything.

“Indeed, Captain. And may I ask if it would be possible to pass my shore leave over to another crew member? He is devoted to his job and deserves to have some time away from his daily tasks.”

The Captain’s eyebrows rose up to the hairline. 

“Of course, Mr. Spock. But… are you sure?”

Spock put his hands behind his back and straightened. 

“Yes, Captain, I am sure.”

“No problem then. I just need to know the name to check with the logs if he truly does deserve a time off. I can’t let out too many people that is why I thought of those who put more effort in our mission than others.”

Spock nodded once. Huh, Pike thought. It would seem that the Vulcan made friends with someone anyway. 

“I will send the formal request by the end of the shift, Captain.”

“That’s perfectly fine, Mr. Spock.” 

Spock felt the tight knots loosen up a bit in his stomach. Jim was most suitable candidate for the shore leave, and the Lieutenant could only benefit from a small break in his work.

 

***

Kirk’s ability to avoid certain subjects was quite fascinating. After two weeks of regular games, or simple conversations, Spock still knew little about the other man. 

Kirk liked to talk about his home in Iowa, he often spoke about his mother, but never gave any details. Jim also spoke about his work in the engine room, but as the First Officer, Spock was supposed to know the nature of all the crew members’ tasks on the ship. Besides, he was also science officer, engine room had little secrets before him.

Considering that humans occasionally liked to avoid uncomfortable subjects, Spock didn’t see the point in asking Kirk to talk more about himself. Instead, the Vulcan gave in to Jim’s requests to tell something about his life before Earth, when he was still on Vulcan.

There were moments though, when they fell silent. It was quite comfortable. 

Sometimes he could sense Jim’s emotions. Usually it was contentment or happiness, but other times he could sense something else. Sadness. Mourning.

Whatever it was Jim was missing, Spock didn’t know. And if he could, he would wish for the human to find what he was missing.

He even considered asking, but that would not be appropriate. So he just enjoyed Kirk’s company as much as he could. As a First Officer, he often was needed at various time during day and night. He didn’t need as much sleep as the rest of the crew which was sufficient.

However, he was concerned for Kirk. The Lieutenant seemed to be always available and their meetings started to get longer and more interesting. Working in the engine room was never an easy task and Spock could only admire Kirk for being full of energy even after a busy shift. 

And Jim was working really hard from the looks of it. Spock often visited that parts of the ship and Jim was never in sight. The most logical explanation was that he was simply working on the ship’s systems, since _Enterprise_ was damaged in the recent meteor shower. 

So he voiced his admiration the next time they met, almost immediately after the human stepped into Spock’s quarters. They have moved with their chess games out of the common room two weeks before. The room was often used by other crew members and Jim didn’t seem to be keen on having an audience for their friendly meetings.

Standing in Spock’s room now, Kirk was rather startled by the words of appreciation coming from the Vulcan, but then he looked genuinely happy. 

“Spock, I didn’t know you cared.” He smirked, teasing the First Officer.

“Caring would require one to have emotions. I was simply acknowledging your effort and your hard work. As a superior officer I was entitled to do such a thing.”

Something in Kirk’s eyes told him that the human didn’t believe him. Spock ignored it. When Kirk receives his pass he will believe that his work is appreciated.

“ Lieutenant- “ he started but was interrupted by Kirk.

“Jim.” The human smiled and walked towards the table where the chess board was already set. “When I’m off duty, I prefer my friends to call me Jim. Unless.. unless you want to keep it professional.” He hesitated.

“Jim,” Spock continued, experiencing a strange vibration when he noticed the human’s relief. “Would you be willing to leave the ship for a short time if you were offered a shore leave pass?”

Kirk frowned. 

“I don’t know, Spock. It depends.”

Spock lifted his eyebrow, asking.

“It depends. Are you going?.” Jim answered the unspoken question.

“Unfortunately I would be staying on the ship. I do not require much time for recreation. You, however, are human, and you need more rest than a Vulcan. And Starbase Eight is a suitable place for relaxation.”

Kirk’s face fell slightly, but he covered it with a smile almost immediately.

“Then I’ll stay too.” He simply stated.

Spock opened his mouth to argue but Kirk didn’t let him.

“I’m not tired, really. I’d prefer to go on shore leave on Earth, visit my friends and family. I really don’t want to go right now. But thank you for your concern.” Lt. Kirk smirked. “Unless this was an order.”

“No, Lieutenant. It wasn’t an order. Although Dr. McCoy could make it a medical order.”

Jim lowered his head guiltily, and smiled shyly. 

“Don’t worry, Commander. I’ll try not to give the good doctor any reasons to force me into medical leave.“ the human blinked at Spock and took his seat at the table. 

“Shall we begin our game?”

Spock inclined his head and sat down on the opposite side of the table. If Jim didn’t want to rest on the starbase, he just had to make sure the man didn’t overwork himself.

And even though Kirk’s behavior was illogical (even for a human because anyone else on the ship would immediately make the most of their shore leave), it was his decision to make and Spock could only respect that. 

***

Several days later Spock met Kirk on his way to his quarters. It wasn’t their meeting that night, Kirk was scheduled on Gamma shift, but he stood right there, in the hall, smiling and leaning against the wall.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the engine room, Lieutenant?” he asked but his voice was devoid of his usual distance and superior tone.

“I am. But I still have fifteen minutes before I should be there.” Jim pushed against the wall and stood beside Spock, following his when the Vulcan continued his way. “I just wanted to make sure that you remember about our meeting tomorrow.”

“Lieutenant, I remember the date and the hour precisely as we have established yesterday. And you should be aware of the reliability of a Vulcan memory.”

“I’m aware now.” Jim smiled, and then something else showed on his face. Spock wasn’t able to define the expression. It seemed to be a physical pain or discomfort. But Spock was having problems with reading human expressions and emotions since it was so easy to misinterpret them. It was easier with his mother. She was patient and she expressed her emotions less intensely.

“I missed you. I know we’re not meeting today but I just wanted to see your kind face.” Jim answered and winked. Spock was at loss of words. 

Kirk walked right next to him and the backs of their hands brushed from time to time. Spock knew it was highly inappropriate because Kirk had no way of knowing about how sensitive Vulcan fingers are. But every time he was trying to move away, his body refused to comply. 

So he tried not to show how very electrifying those brushes were. If he didn’t know better, he would be sure Kirk was doing it on purpose. 

They arrived at his place and they stopped at the door. 

“I have to go now, but I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” there was this softness around his eyes. Spock noticed that none of the other humans carried that expression on the _Enterprise_ , or anywhere else for that matters. 

“Spock?”

“You seem to be so different from other crew members…” the First Officer mused. He tried to discover the factor which determined Jim Kirk, numerous times, but it escaped him, almost like Jim knew he was being estimated and he disguised what Spock was looking for. 

Jim frowned slightly and his smile faded. 

“What do you mean, Mr. Spock?” the human asked and Spock could hear the fear in his question. What was he afraid of?

“You have a most illogical habit of expressing your emotions, even though you are aware I am not capable to understand them.”

Relief. Spock did recognize this feeling, though. Kirk huffed a laugh and shook his head. Then, he smiled again, his usual cocky grin. 

“Tomorrow, Spock. Okay?”

Spock nodded. “Tomorrow.”

Kirk turned on his heel and started to walk away. Spock opened the door and was about to step into the room when he took a last look at Kirk’s back. 

“Lieutenant?” he called. Kirk stopped midstride and turned.

Spock opened his mouth. He closed it. And opened again.

“Tomorrow, Jim.” He said finally and to his surprise, his voice sounded soft. At least that’s what it sounded to him.

Kirk tilted his head and waved.

And that’s when the floor shook. 

Spock lost his balance and fell. 

The emergency lights came on and battle alarm sounded in the whole ship.

“Spock!” Kirk was right there, like he teleported from the end of the hall to the place where Spock was laying. He held his hand out and helped the Vulcan up. It was unnecessary, but it wasn’t the time to discuss the thing right now. 

The Vulcan immediately pulled out his communicator and hailed the bridge.

“Spock to the bridge. What happened?”

“Commander!” it was Uhura’s voice. “We are under attack! The shields are down. The assailants are not responding on any frequency. ”

“I’m on my way.”

“Shields. I’m on it.” Kirk simply said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder and ran to the engine room right away.

The ship shook again and Spock had to lean against the wall to stay upright. 

When he finally entered the bridge the ship was still shaking but at least they were finally shielded. 

“Captain, there’s still no response.” Uhura reported, still trying to communicate with the other ship. Spock went immediately to his station and scanned the other vessel.

“What can you tell me Spock?” Pike asked calmly.

“The technology does not seem to be anything we have met before. Or, it is almost everything we’ve encountered. They have Romulan shield system.”

“They were undetectable on our scanners.” Chekov confirmed.

“Although the weaponry system is close to Kilngon, with some modifications. They are prepared for long and violent battles, Captain. My sensors indicate a large amount of fuel, and energy. The whole design of the ship is a gathering of many different components.”

The ship shook again when the other ship kept firing.

“Shields down to 75%.” Sulu reported.

“Hold the fire, Mr. Sulu. Keep all the energy flow to the shields. We have to keep it up.”

“Yes sir!”

“Captain, we have received transmission from the vessel.”

“On screen.”

The screen before them flickered and an alien face looked down at them. The picture wasn’t clear because of the shields and the ongoing attack.

“My name is Christopher Pike, I’m the captain of-“

“Surrender your vessel.” An unpleasant voice cut in. The alien had dark green skin, almost black, and his face was so wrinkled that they could barely see his eyes.

“Our ship is much better equipped than yours, it is no use for you to fight back, if you are thinking about it.”

“We mean you no harm.” Pike continued. “We’re peaceful explorers from-“

“I don’t care.” The alien made a face. At least that’s what it looked like when some of the wrinkles changed their place and shape. “I know that you are directing all your energy to your shields. It leaves very little energy for you to try to run. Very unwise.”

“Who are you?” Spock dared to ask, fascinated by this creature. There were still so many undiscovered races in the space.

“My name is Arkhnar and I am the captain of this vessel, and soon yours.”

“Have we offended you in any way? We do not know your customs and we’re happy to learn.” Pike offered, hoping for a peaceful solution. He was, after all, the Captain and the diplomat. 

Arkhnar snorted and the picture flickered when the other ship doubled their attack.

“You’re offending me with your resistance. I am Arkhnar, I take what I want, and I spare no one!”

“Shields down to 50%, Captain.” Sulu informed.

“Engine room, we need those shields!”

“Aye, sir!” Scotty sounded desperate. 

“Captain Arkhnar, maybe we will be able to solve this situation without fighting.” Pike stood from his chair, spreading his hands in a welcoming gesture. “We are explorers. We want to meet new civilizations, to learn from them and to make friends, not enemies.”

“Ah,” Arkhnar said. “I do not need more friends.”

“If you take our ship now, you will have to deal with Federation Starfleet.”

“Are you threatening me?!”

“Not yet.” Pike’s voice lost its soft pleading tone. When a kind word didn’t help, Pike always turned to coldness. “But if you keep threatening us, we will contact with our headquarters.”

Arkhnar cursed and the image was lost.

“Shields down to 30%, Captain. They won’t hold much longer.” Sulu reported.

“We’ve lost contact, Captain.” Uhura informed.

“Captain, they stopped firing!” Chekov noticed with surprise in his voice.

“Affirmative.” Spock confirmed and immediately scanned for damages. There were minor damages in the ship’s sheathing and several sub-components were burnt, but the ship was still fully functional. Except for the shields which were barely holding up. He briefly described the situation to Captain Pike. The human frowned.

“They didn’t seem to want anything from us apart from the ship.”

“I do not believe they represented any specific culture, Captain.” Spock noticed.

“I agree, Captain.” Chekov turned on his chair to see the Captain. “Their ship is made of many different parts. Arkhnar said he takes what he wants. That reminds me of pirates on Earth.”

A murmur went through the bridge. 

“I agree.” Spock said. “I’m familiar with the human myth of outlaws attacking other ships. Arkhnar seems to have attacked and robbed many ships from different civilizations and assembled a ship using the best components. His energy supplies and advanced technology onboard can be logically explained.”

“The remains of the attacked ships could have been sold or traded for necessary things.” Pike agreed, thinking hard, if there was anything they could do in this case. During the many years of his service he’s never been in such situation. Usually the attackers wanted something specific and despite problems they managed to reach an understanding. He was never dealing with a space criminal before. Not when 400 lives were at stake.

“What are our chances if we resist?”

“The chances are 9.24%, Captain. Shields are at 26% and we barely have power to maneuver the ship. Arkhnar may not be the most intelligent creature, but his instruments are precise.”

“Why do you think he is not intelligent?” Uhura asked, watching Spock intently. Ever since he joined their crew, she admired the First Officer for his cool attitude and his knowledge.

“A device which can describe energy flow is also capable of defining different types of energy and power. We do, in fact, have an auxiliary energy source, which operates the transporters. It is not enough to power up the shield, however it is detectable.”

Uhura nodded.

“So, he is not intelligent enough or his instruments are not that precise.” 

“Either way, it is our chance to buy some more time.” Pike rubbed his chin, thinking of any strategy which would save the ship and their lives.

“Captain, their ship is armed in three cannons and minor lasers. If we have just enough time to redirect the power to the weapons’ system we will be able to take the cannons down. The sheathing should hold if they will attack us with the lasers.” The pilot turned in his chair, waiting for captains decision.

“You are right Mr. Sulu, but your plans requires extra precision in calculating the exact target. And it gives us little time for three shots.”

“I will be able to calculate the exact position of the targets, Captain.” 

They all looked at the young navigator. Ensign Chekov innocently stared back at them. 

“I can do that.” He said, more confident than ever. “And if we manage to surprise them we will have the necessary time to take out all three cannons.”

Captain Pike narrowed his eyes. He made a good decision, when he welcomed the seventeen year old ensign in his crew. 

“Chekov, Russia should be proud of you. Now, do it.”

“Yes sir!”

The screen flickered once again and they all saw Arkhnar’s face.

“Do you think I’m that stupid? It will take weeks before any of your Starfleet ships arrives here, and I’ll be far away by that time! Prepare to be boarded. Surrender, or die!”

“Fascinating.”

“Spock?” the captain turned away from the screen, so that the pirate didn’t hear him.

“Captain, it took exactly 6 minutes for Arkhnar to realize the nearest Starfleet ship is too far away to pose any threat.”

“It seems you choose death.” Arkhnar hissed.

“Wait! Please.” Pike faced the screen. “We’re discussing the surrender.” He lied but didn’t expect Arkhnar to detect it. “It is a large vessel and I there are 400 men on this ship.”

“I can take care of that for you. My men will quickly terminate your problem.”

“Also, we need to redirect the energy from the shield to the transporter. You already know that everything we had was in the shield. And without the transporter you won’t be able to beam onto _Enterprise_.”

“Why not?!”

“The ship has independent systems preventing any unauthorized transmission. Disarming it will take hours.”

Arkhnar didn’t say anything. He just watched the Captain carefully. Pike waited another several seconds before continuing.

“We want to live, not to die. I understand you want the ship intact. Give us fifteen minutes and we will prepare the ship for you.”

Arkhnar’s wrinkles twisted and then his hoarse voice filled the bridge.

“You have ten minutes. If you’re not ready then, we will shoot. The remains of the ship can be sold or traded. I win either way.”

The image disappeared.

“Engine room. Transfer the energy to the weapons system.”

“Aye sir.”

“Chekov, calculate the position of the targets.”

“Yes sir.”

“Sulu, when the coordinates are entered you will have to set the phasers manually. We can’t risk Arkhnar reading our energy flow before we are ready.”

“Yes sir!.”

“Mr. Spock, we will need your expertise in the engine room. I’m sure Mr. Scott is the best man for the job but with your help we will be able to fit in those ten minutes.”

“Captain.” Spock inclined his head and walked into the turbolift. 

***

Five minutes later he was working on the sequences in the shield’s energy control panel, as fast as he could, but not too fast, because that would be unwise. Mr. Scott worked on the panel which was connected to the weapons. 

They would be ready by now if Spock hadn’t discovered a failsafe in the shield’s settings. Apparently, if the shields were below 30% the energy transfer couldn’t be processed.

Mr. Scott cursed and hit the controls.

“Damnit all to hell! We have to open the valve manually.”

“Impossible.” Spock shook his head. “The energy spike that would cross the tube will be deadly for anyone inside.”

“It is the only way. We’re wasting time with the failsafe, and it’s not logical Mr. Spock.” Scotty sounded panicked. Spock regarded him for a moment before locking the controls on the panel he was working on.

“We have 4.5 minutes.” The Vulcan simply said and strode towards the hatch which led to the valve. 

“Mr Spock!” Scotty yelled but he didn’t listen. A human wouldn’t survive, but a Vulcan had 3.6% chance to survive. If there was no other solution, Spock will take the chance.

When he got there, the hatch was already opened. And somebody was already squeezing through to the tube.

“Lt. Kirk, step down, **immediately**!”

“I’m afraid I can’t, Commander.” Kirk was now all the way in the tube. “I work here, and your place is on the bridge.”

Kirk was right. Spock knew it. But something inside him insisted that it shouldn’t be this way.

“You will not survive. I have at least a small chance of-“

“Spock.” Kirk cut in, gasping with effort while he was shifting in the tube and making his way to the valve. “You are the most logical creature I know. Tell me, do we have time to swap places right now?”

Spock opened his mouth and closed it. It wasn’t happening. It should be him up there. Kirk was acting on his arrogance and bravery but still, the human was right.

“No,” he finally said. “We don’t.”

“Do me a favor.” Kirk was already out of Spock’s sight. He Vulcan could only hear the kind voice talking to him. “Remember me. Or I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life.” His voice was warm, and Spock imagined the smile that made Jim’s face look peaceful and soft around his eyes. 

Spock didn’t answer. He simply closed the hatch.

Spock felt strange feeling in his side. His heart was acting strangely. Every fiber of his body screamed for Kirk to come back, but he couldn’t force himself to do anything.

What about their chess game tomorrow? Did Kirk even think about their meeting?

Spock swallowed down the sensations and took a deep, shaking breath.

And he left the place. It was only logical to carry on with their plan. He couldn’t let his emotions get in the way of his reason. Besides, he was a Vulcan. He had no emotions. 

He swallowed loudly. Exactly. No emotions at all.

They had a little less than half a minute when Spock arrived, strangely numb, on the bridge.

“Everything set, Spock?”

“Yes Captain. However we are sacrificing a life of a fine man.”

Silence fell in the room.

Arkhnar appeared on the screen.

“Are you ready to be boarded?”

Everybody turned towards the ugly face.

“Almost. You gave us too little time to-“

Arkhnar roared, furious.

“I’m tired of your stupid excuses. You’ve had enough time! Your remains would not be as good as the ship but it will have to be enough.” Arkhnar terminated the connection.

“Captain, they are powering up.” Sulu warned.

“Spock.” Pike turned to his First.

“If we don’t open fire now, sir, we will all die.” Sulu spoke, a little bit nervous. Spock couldn’t blame him. The Vulcan walked to the communication control and established the connection with the engine room. 

“Engine room. Prepare to transfer the power!” Pike ordered. 

Sulu confirmed the flow of the energy as soon as the valve was opened.

A strange, almost electric shockwave ran through Spock’s body. In this very second, Lt. Kirk died. He felt it in every part of his body, almost like it was a kind of physical pain.

“Jim.” Spock whispered, not really caring if they all will die today or not, because tomorrow, Jim will not play chess with him. “Tomorrow.”

Static came through the communication channel. The energy filled the tube.

“It’s too late!” Chekov shouted. “They’re opening fire!”

The first blast hit the shield hard.

“Shields down to 20%. And falling. The energy stuck between the systems!”

The pirates kept firing. The ship shook terribly. Communication panel made a strange noise and shot sparks in every direction. Uhura screamed and leaned back as far as she could, falling backwards. Spock lost his balance, but managed to help the girl before the sparks fell on her and burnt through her skin.

Sulu and Chekov barely held their positions, gripping at the control panel.

“What’s the status?” Pike clamped down on his chair and refused to let go, still in command of the ship.

“Shields are at… 25%?” Sulu squeaked.

“What?” 

“25%... 28%... and still rising!”

“Is that system malfunction?”

“No Captain!” Chekov shouted over the noise. ”I have the same readings!”

Spock pushed off the floor and got to his station. He quickly checked the readings.

“Affirmative. The shields seem to drain power. It is not, however, our power.” Spock frowned and run the diagnostics again, because what he saw on his screen could not be possible. He checked again, the results were still the same. They were draining power from the attack. The plasma from Arkhnar’s cannons delivered more than enough of the necessary energy to hold the shields. He informed the Captain about the scan results. Pike was at loss of words. 

“We don’t have such technology.” Pike murmured.

“Nobody has such technology. Power drain, while being shielded below 30%, is not possible.” Spock looked up from his readings and straightened. The shields grew stronger with every second and the pirates kept firing. They even doubled they effort to destroy _Enterprise_. With no success.

The ship stopped shaking and some of the power seemed to be directed to the engines and the weaponry system. Sulu reported several spikes in his readings.

“ _Fascinating._ ” Spock sighed.

“Captain, the shields are at 100%.” Chekov reported.

“Weapons at maximum.” Sulu added. “We are fully operational and shielded.”

“Can somebody please tell me what the hell just happened?” Pike growled.

Silence fell on the bridge. Even Spock could not find an answer to this question. The shields assimilated alien power like it was a natural reflex, even though the only possible power source is from _Enterprise’s_ own source. Then, the same alien power brought their engines to full capacity and charged their weapons. The _Enterprise’s_ systems were created, designed and programmed to reject any kind of energy that was from outside.

“Whatever it was-“ Spock started but was interrupted by a salve from _Enterprise_ phasers. In three precise shots, they took down the cannons. 

“Lt. Sulu! Did I order you to open fire?” Pike stood up, irritated.

“But sir! I didn’t do anything!” Sulu leaned back on his chair, keeping his hands up. The phasers kept firing, aiming for enemy’s lasers. Several moments later, the pirates were disarmed, and the system automatically located the other ship’s engine, so that one shot would destroy it completely.

Sulu and Chekov looked at each other.

Somebody whispered. “The ghost…” 

And to Spock’s surprise, Captain Pike nodded his head. 

***

The next few hours passed quickly and harmlessly, despite the silence and terror filling the ship’s walls. Spock unintentionally sensed the emotions of people surrounding him. He repeated that everything could be explained by science, but nobody listened.

The pirates surrendered quickly, after they lost their weapons. Pike put them in the brig, and secured their ship. After contacting the nearest system is occurred that the pirates terrorized this sector for quite some time and the government of the main planet was happy to welcome Arkhnar in their prison. 

There were signatures of strange energy in the shield, but Spock had no time to analyze it further. They had to fix the communication panel and make sure every person who has suffered from the attack got to medical bay. The shield was lowered, but just as a precaution, Spock activated a buffer to prevent the remaining energy to mix with the ship’s power.

Uhura was the only one on the bridge who needed medical attention. She tried to brush it off, saying that it was just a bump on her forehead. Spock gently explained that while her behavior might be considered brave, it was, in fact, quite foolish. 

Uhura narrowed her eyes dangerously, but followed Spock to the sickbay without another word.

Once in the sickbay, Spock noticed the change in the atmosphere. Somebody was not afraid. On the contrary. Somebody in this room was feeling safe and at peace.

Spock looked around, scanning people in the room. It wasn’t crowded, but there was too many people for the Vulcan to find the source of the positive emotions. Anyway, it wasn’t his priority at the moment.

He made sure Uhura reported her bumped head to doctor McCoy and left the place, ignoring the way that the doctor rolled his eyes at Spock. 

When communication control panel was finally fixed, Spock went to the science lab to prepare his report about what exactly happened. He submitted the report and waited for the computer to approve and download it on the disk, before he could go to the conference room. In five minutes the heads of all departments were supposed to be there.

“ _Report rejected._ ” Said soft feminine voice.

Spock submitted the report again, with the same result.

“Computer. Details of the errors in the report.”

“ _Invalid data. Invalid name. Lt. Kirk, James T, not found in the database._ ”

“Computer, confirm.”

“ _Invalid data. Invalid name. Lt. Kirk, James T., not found in the database. Confirmed._ ” 

“Impossible.” Spock muttered and manually entered the name. The screen flickered for a split second before showing message ‘no matches’.

The door opened and Dr McCoy entered, carrying two data PADDs which, most probably, belonged to the scientists who were in the medical bay earlier. Apparently the good doctor decided they had to stay in the sickbay, and confiscated the PADDs. 

“Spock. Working on your report?” he asked, while walking to one of the tables and putting the PADDs down. 

“I am attempting to, however it appears that the _Enterprise_ main computer was affected by the energy drain. I cannot locate a name of one of the crew members.”

McCoy snorted. 

“At least we are alive. Don’t bother with the report right now. The Captain is too spooked to think of regulations and paperwork.”

“That person died today, and he was my friend.” Spock replied calmly. The other man froze, not really sure what to say.

Spock lifted his gaze and looked at the doctor. Suddenly, he sensed the strange emotion again, but this time it was clear - the peace and the feeling of safety.

“May I ask you about something, doctor?”

McCoy looked at the Vulcan, very much surprised, but he nodded anyway.

“You seem to be the only person on the entire ship who is not afraid or scared of the situation at hand.”

McCoy’s eyebrows went up, to his hairline.

“Well, I’ll be scared when I know that we are in danger.” He mumbled.

“But you seem to be… content with the current situation. As a matter of fact, you are feeling safe and protected now, more than before, even though the ship may still be in danger. Why is that, doctor?”

“Why do you want to know? Don’t you have anything better to do?” McCoy growled, suddenly angry. 

Spock simply stared at him, waiting for an answer.

“Oh, hell.” The doctor sat down in the nearest chair. “I might need a drink after that…” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose and spoke.

“It’s the ghost. I don’t know if you heard the story – new personnel was assigned to the _Enterprise_ over a year ago. The transporter malfunctioned and the last person which was beamed up died. We lost him shortly after he dematerialized in the docking bay. He never re-appeared in the ship. The beta copy which usually is held by the buffer was never created. I knew that guy, we were friends in the Academy and we were assigned to this ship together. 

“After Jim’s death strange things started to happen on the _Enterprise_ , that is why they say it’s a haunted ship.”

“Jim?” Spock breathed, suddenly experiencing a sinking feeling in his stomach. 

“Yeah.” McCoy smiled to himself. “Jim Kirk. I like to think that those strange things are happening because he is still here. You wouldn’t understand, ghosts and beliefs are illogical to you, but I believe that he is here, and that he helped us today.”

“Jim Kirk?” Spock asked.

“Yes.”

“James T. Kirk?” 

The doctor narrowed his eyes dangerously and snarled.

“What is your problem you pointy eared-“

Spock turned the computer’s monitor towards the doctor in one smooth move.

“- bastard…” McCoy’s eyed widened and his mouth opened in shock.

On the screen, two lines stated in red: ‘Report rejected. Invalid name: Kirk, James T., no matches found.’

“This is the name I was searching for in the database.”


	2. Part 2

<3 <3 <3

“Wait! Wait-…” McCoy paced the room, running his hands through his hair, and dragging a palm over his face awfully frequently. “So, basically, you’ve been hanging out with a dead person and didn’t realize that the guy might actually be **dead** already. And you realized something was not right only five hours _after_ he died... _again_?” the human stopped pacing just to glare at Spock. This was not happening. He believed in ghosts, sure. And he liked to think that Jim was still with them, on this ship, because it was the only way he could cope with death of his friend. But the situation at hand was just… it was… 

The First Officer looked up from the floor he’s been studying for the last several moments.

“That is not a precise description of what happened.”

McCoy glared again.

“Yes.” Spock simply said. “Despite the inaccuracy of your statement, yes, this would be almost correct.”

The doctor rolled his eyes and huffed. He started pacing again, thinking, thinking hard. He sighed, ran his fingers through his hair again and spun around to point at Spock narrowing his eyes.

“No…” he growled. He didn’t like this game at all. Whatever Spock was on about, it must have been some kind of a joke. “You’re shittin’ me. You made this story up. Are you actually expectin’ me to believe you? I know Vulcans are insensitive bastards but I didn’t suspect you’d be so-“

“Please calm down, doctor.” Spock’s cool tone seemed to have an effect on McCoy who snapped his mouth shut and let his arm fall to his side, but his eyes were still narrowed dangerously.

“I met a person who claimed his name was Lt. Kirk and I did, as you put it, ‘hang out’ with him. There was no reason for me to believe that he might lie to me or that he might be…” Spock hesitated. “A ghost. Lt. Kirk seemed to be very much alive and solid which is not usually questioned among your kind while encountering other human beings. I was not familiar with the story of James T. Kirk who was your friend, therefore I did not have any reasons to suspect anything abnormal about Lt. Kirk.” Spock was still sitting in his chair, almost in the same position, one elbow propped on the table’s edge, the other hand folded on his lap. His expression also hadn’t changed, although one could hear hints of different emotions in his voice. 

McCoy didn’t have time or patience to focus on Spock. His head was spinning, his hands shook and he couldn’t seem to stop in one place for more than half a second.

“I realized something might not be right only several minutes ago, when I wasn’t able to find Lt. Kirk’s name on the list of the crewmembers. I would have blamed it on the system malfunction, if you didn’t tell me the story of the ship’s suppositious ghost.” Spock folded his arms across his chest and leaned back on the chair.

The human was silent for quite some time. He finally stopped in one place, hands fisted painfully at his sides. His shoulders looked tense and Spock wondered for a short second, how a human face could look that much older in a blink of an eye if certain conditions were provided. 

It could also look much younger – a phenomenon he observed while spending time with his mother and recently – with Jim. If either of them was content, their features would soften accordingly. Spock found Kirk’s expressions particularly fascinating.

“This is just too much for me.” McCoy murmured. “We buried Jim last year. Or, at least, an empty coffin with his name engraved on its side. We mourned him. We grieved. And finally, finally when I found the peace of my mind, something like this happens.” He makes an unidentified gesture in the air. “Are you sure you weren’t imagining things?” he asked hopefully and his voice broke a bit making the doctor sound vulnerable.

“Doctor McCoy, Vulcans do not ‘imagine’ things. We act on logic and we believe in facts. We do not believe in ghosts. I never expected to meet a person who doesn’t actually exist anymore, let alone to befriend them.”

“This is just too weird. Haunted ship, strange things happening and now you, telling me, that you talked and made friends with a ghost. I can’t believe that I actually believe you. In some twisted, inexplicable way, I believe you.”

The Vulcan nodded once. 

McCoy was most illogical of all humans Spock has encountered. The human seemed to be accepting anything out of ordinary, believing that is was his friend’s ghost. This faith was blind and full of trust, with no need for a proof. But once the proof was delivered, the belief faded. 

Spock watched the doctor carefully. He would have analyze the case further, but it wasn’t time for studying human behavior of logic. They were already overdue for the staff meeting. 

“What do we tell them?” McCoy asked, as Spock stood up and took the disk with the report. The report was not approved, but Spock downloaded the unauthorized copy anyway. “I mean, you did mention Jim’s name in you report. You tried to get it approved and Pike will get a notification about the failure. We can’t keep it a secret now.”

McCoy was right. And indeed, Spock did intend to relay the same report to their Captain. Illogical as it may seem, there was the slightest chance that the Captain might accept the report and believe in Spock’s version of the past six hours. 

***

Captain Pike listened carefully to each report, amazed that no one reported any damage. The energy which was lost during Arkhnar’s attack was restored, however nobody could explain what happened exactly. 

It seemed as if the ship absorbed the necessary power on its own will.

“I did not manage to run a full diagnostics. There were other priorities that needed to be attended to.” Spock said calmly. “The initial analysis indicates that the Enterprise not only survived an attack which should have damaged the ship beyond repair. This vessel fed on the alien energy and the process caused no errors or anomalies in the flow of the power in Enterprise’s circuits.”

“No other anomalies than the one you just described, is that what you mean Mr. Spock?” 

“That is correct, Captain. I will investigate this phenomenon further as soon as possible.”

The captain regarded his First for a short while. The Vulcan was the only one on this ship, who believed that science can explain even the most unusual things.

“Mr. Scott, how does the situation look from your end?”

“It is quite disturbing, captain.” Scotty squirmed in his seat. “The engines are at full capacity and there are no problems with the energy flow between the systems. But honestly, I’m afraid to do anything in this moment. We gained the energy in a way which broke almost all of the laws of physics.” 

Chekov cleared his throat and spoke.

“I noticed a small, almost undetectable spike while the energy was being drained from the attack. It was neither our or Arkhnar’s energy signature. And it wasn’t sucked in with the rest of the power. It behaved like a buffer of some sorts, however it was located in the immediate area between the shield and the energy from the pirates’ cannons.”

“Affirmative. I did manage to detect a unrecognizable energy which is stored in the shield buffer at the moment. Just as a precaution.” Spock confirmed turning towards the captain.

Pike nodded, acknowledging the information.

“Will we be able to run tests on it?” 

“Yes, Captain. I would like to ask the Ensign to forward as many information as he could gather about the shields.” Spock inclined his head towards the young navigator who nodded eagerly.

“I’ll do it right away when I get back to my station.”

“Thank you.” Pike nodded at Chekov. “Mr. Sulu, I would like you to analyze phasers’ uncontrolled attack. As soon as you find something out of ordinary, contact Mr. Spock.”

“Yes sir.”

“Mr. Scott.”

“Aye?”

“I believe your expertise would be very helpful to Mr. Spock during the tests on the energy.”

“Aye, sir. I don’t have anything else to do down there in the engineering room. In some twisted way everything works as it should, or even better, which is beginning to be a wee bit scary. There are only some burnt circuits but fixing that doesn’t require my personal attention.”

Silence filled the room. They all have been the best from the best, yet they still were at loss.

Pike cast a quick glance around. So far, nobody panicked, although you could almost taste the fear on the ship. 

Sulu and Chekov exchanged quick glances, probably a little scared. Their reports matched and there was no discrepancy between them. Whatever has happened recently, their readings were the same.

Chekov did seem a little bit pale. The Captain blamed it on the stress. He couldn’t blame the Ensign. He was still a kid.

McCoy was sitting quietly, listening to Spock’s words. The Captain assumed the Medical Officer already heard the Vulcan’s version, since he didn’t argue or comment as he would usually do, and he mourned the loss of their companion. McCoy always took deaths among the crew the hard way. He was their doctor and their friend, he was supposed to save lives.

Pike closed his eyes for a short time. There will be time for grief. Right now they had to solve the problem at hand.

“Gentlemen, I understand that this is a very complicated and unusual situation, however I strongly believe that we have to do everything we can to solve this problem.” The Captain’s voice was harsh. 

They all nodded quickly, unspoken fear still hanging in the air. 

Pike wanted to call them to order because there was never anything worse than a Captain whose crew slipped out of control.

“Mr. Spock, I want the report and the results of the tests as soon as possible.” He added, maybe even too sternly. “Dismissed.”

The room filled with noise and soft murmurs. Pike didn’t move from his heat. He waited for them to leave, so he could think in silence. He rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes.

They were in a very complicated position. 

Everybody here believed in the bloody ghost. But nobody was crazy enough to admit to it. Or to voice their opinion about Arkhnar’s attack.

They were fortunate enough that the energy didn’t damage the Enterprise from the inside and that they weren’t in danger at the moment. But the very fact that the Enterprise’s systems were malfunctioning, reasons unknown, might lead them to the loss of the ship. The Starfleet might want to withdraw the Enterprise from the space exploring program for security reasons, and Pike wasn’t ready for this. Enterprise became a home for most of the crew and they simply couldn’t lose her. 

“May I have a word with you, Captain?” Spock’s voice brought Pike back from his own thoughts and fears. He looked up to see the Vulcan standing in front of him. Dr McCoy was lingering in the room, still sitting in his chair. 

“Of course. What is it?”

“I believe I have experienced most unusual thing.” Spock stated, clasping his hands behind his back.

Captain Pike snorted.

“I think we all have.”

“You misunderstand, Captain.” Spock tilted his head slightly. Pike noticed McCoy standing up and walking closer to them and standing next to Spock.

“I’m here to speak about my report. I believe you have received notification about a failed attempt to submit it.”

“Yes, yes I did, but I hardly had time to check it carefully. Nobody else managed to submit their report yet, Mr. Spock, we all were quite busy for the past several hours.”

“That is not the case, Captain. The report was rejected because of incorrect name of the man who died in the tube after opening the valve.”

Pike fell silent. 

“His name was Kirk.” McCoy growled impatiently.

Pike’s eyes snapped open as he looked at the other man.

“What?”

“The man who died today. He introduced himself as Lt. James T. Kirk.”

“Is this some kind of a bad joke?” the Captain stood up from his chair and regarded Spock and McCoy with a piercing look. Here he was, knowing that there was no logical explanation but refusing to admit their resident ghost had something to do with the whole situation. And those two did it for him. They pronounced Kirk’s name like it was most natural thing to do.

It was quite fascinating, Spock wondered. Humans tended to believe in ghosts, but when given a proof or when told a true story that confirmed their beliefs, they suddenly suspended their beliefs. Truly fascinating.

“Vulcans do not have a sense of humour, Captain.” Spock answered genuinely. “Neither does Dr McCoy.”

The doctor growled low in his throat and looked at the Vulcan, narrowing his eyes.

“And what do you have to say, doctor? As far as I know you were in the sickbay the whole time. You couldn’t have seen the person who died today.”

“No, but I can confirm that the crew’s status has not changed since yesterday’s check. The Enterprise detects exactly 428 lifesigns on the ship. If somebody died, I would have received a notification from Enterprise sensors by now.”

Pike turned to Spock.

“Sensors may be wrong. We did receive quite a lot of energy in an unknown way. It could cause some system malfunctions.” He said and before Spock could reply he continued, “Are you sure? Did you even consider the possibility that the person might be another crew member who simply lied about their name?”

“I did, Captain.” Spock tilted his head. “However it would not be wise to give a false name to a person who is a superior officer. Not for a longer period of time. Besides no one has reported any casualties. If anything happened to one of the crewmembers, others would notice a missing person.”

“Longer period of time?” Pike frowned, folding his hands on the table before him.

“I met James Kirk precisely 3.15 months ago. It would be highly illogical of him to use a different name.”

“And illegal if performed without an authorization of a superior officer.” McCoy added. Spock raised his eyebrow. It was rare to hear Dr. McCoy cite regulations and Spock paid extra attention to remember this moment so that he could tell that to Jim tomorrow.

In the same moment he remembered that he will not be able to play chess with Jim anymore. He froze. His heart made a strangest thing he’s ever felt and the Vulcan decided to ask Dr. McCoy for full physical later in the day. 

“Three months ago?” Pike asked in a small voice. It brought Spock back from his thoughts.

“Three point fifteen.” Spock corrected the Captain. “We engaged in a game of chess quite frequently, when we both were off duty.”

“You.” The captain pointed at Spock. “Played chess. With Kirk.”

“That is correct, Captain.”

“And Kirk was in the tube when the valve was opened.”

“Yes.”

Pike turned away from Spock and made several steps towards the back of the room then stopped, turned around and walked back. His shoulders were tense.

“He seemed alive.” Spock continued. “I didn’t have any suspicions until doctor McCoy told me the story of a Lieutenant who lost his life over a year ago due to a transporter malfunction.” 

They told the Captain what happened in the science lab before they came to the conference room and Pike could only listen and hang his head low.

People were telling many different and scary ghost stories about the Enterprise and Pike considered half of them true, but he never witnessed anything out of ordinary other that minor system malfunctions or energy spikes. Usually the problems were solved quickly by Mr. Scott, or they just disappeared just as unexpectedly as they showed up. But they never were as obvious and complicated as what he heard today. 

And quite frankly, it was disturbing to know that despite all odds, Spock’s words sounded logical to him.

Vulcan reason and logic, those were things that probably never malfunctioned. Although Dr McCoy would probably argue.

Spock handed him the disc with the report.

“This is my detailed report of the events starting from Arkhnar’s first attack, until the moment he was captured.”

Pike looked at the disk and felt numb. He was a Captain of a starship. He had to act accordingly. The Starfleet wanted facts and numbers and he couldn’t give them a ghost story.

“Mr. Spock, could you please run the tests we spoke about before? This is our priority at the moment.” He finally said and tried to sound self-confident. “We need to report to Starfleet as soon as possible.”

“And what about Jim?” McCoy asked fervently, giving the Captain a very nasty look. Pike remembered vaguely that Kirk and McCoy were friends back in the Academy.

“We will investigate the matter once we send initial reports to the Starfleet. I suspect they will check the reports first and only then they will ask for further explanations. I will try to buy us more time, gentlemen.” He ran his hand down his face.

He didn’t remember the last time he was so tired.

“I’ll tell Mr. Sulu to go through the security cameras’ records. There has to be some explanation for Kirk’s appearance. If it was Kirk at all.” He murmured the last sentence under his breath. He looked at the other two men and sighed.

“There’s not much I can do right now for you, gentlemen.”

Spock nodded and McCoy gave him a wry smile. He left them in the conference room and went to the bridge. He had a ship full of ghosts and unknown energy to command.

***

McCoy was sitting in his chair in the office. 

The sick bay was mostly empty. Only Chapel and some other nurse were there, cleaning up after a busy day and preparing clean sheets and instruments for the next day, just in case.

The doctor had some time for himself. His shift was over but he didn’t feel like going to his quarters. He wasn’t sleepy, but he couldn’t focus on anything else. His mind kept going back to Jim.

He remembered that day when they both got assigned to Enterprise. Jim was excited but also proud of himself. If he didn’t know better, he’d say that Kirk was boasting.

McCoy never trusted machines, even if some of them, like those in the sickbay, saved human life. He insisted Jim should go first, but the young Lieutenant wanted to draw out the moment and almost forced the doctor to go first.

He beamed up and he never saw Jim again. 

His pride, the contentment he felt because of Enterprise, vanished. 

No, he didn’t blame himself. It was Kirk’s fault. If the damn kid didn’t insist that McCoy should go first, he’d be alive. 

“Damnit, Jim.” He sighed. 

It hurt, because he’d imagined this a thousand times before. He imagined Jim tried to contact with him by the energy spikes and malfunctioning door. He thought that if Jim ever came back to haunt them, he’d contact with McCoy. Obviously, the green-blooded hobgoblin seemed more interesting to Kirk than an old friend from the Academy. 

On the other side, though, it did sound exactly like the Jim. Try to do the impossible, no matter what. 

“Way to go Jim.” He sighed and reached for the half empty glass of bourbon.

Besides, Kirk was always trouble. Back at the Academy, and, apparently, even after his death. The kid just couldn’t let go when he was obsessed with something. But the question was, what was Jim’s obsession now?

***

The tests were a very long and very complicated process. Mr. Scott did his best to run the analysis thoroughly. Spock analyzed the logs and the data gathered by the main computer, but his mind kept wandering off to other logs. He more than often thought about quickly checking the records from the tube, but the only thing that prevented him from doing that were Captain’s orders.

So he followed the readings and compared them with the records and kept thinking about Jim and about the fact that he might never see him again. There was no point in showing up after one’s death. Especially when you were already dead in the first place. What would have happened to a dead human who died again? 

Humans insisted they had souls, but it was never possible to prove it. Human souls were more of a belief than a fact. The recent events made Spock wonder, if it was possible that human soul was real, if it was anything like a vulcan katra.

Spock closed his eyes and shook his head. He wasn’t getting anywhere with his tests. He had to meditate at least for a short time to clear his mind. 

He looked at the screen and decided to depart as soon as the is finished with the current readings.

“Mr. Spock,” Scotty’s voice caught Spock’s attention. “I’ve found a strange signature in the energy that was supposed to be transferred from the transporter to shields.”

“I can see it here in my readings too, Mr. Scott.”

“I know you can see it, Spock, but can you translate it?” Scotty’s voice held a hint of pride and satisfaction. Spock looked up from his screen and after a moment of consideration walked towards the computer occupied by the chief engineer.

“Here,” the human pointed at the screen happily. “I isolated the energy signature and run a series of tests on it. I launched a translating program and this is what showed on my screen.”

Spock looked at the screen. Then at Scotty and again at the screen. This was not possible. 

“Transporter’s beta copy?”

“Aye.”

“What made you use the translating program?”

“Ach, it was by mistake, you see. I launched it out of habit. I usually do this with every new piece of technology we receive from newly met species. Just in case it is something familiar.”

Spock would roll his eyes but his Vulcan part allowed him to only raise his eyebrow.

“At least we’re getting somewhere, aren’t we?” Scotty grinned. 

“Indeed.” Spock answered and watched the code that was running on the screen. The figures went too fast for him to read, but he was able to make out few fragments which did look logical.

“The same energy was redirected to the shields and I believe this is the same energy we store in the shield buffers at the moment.” The Vulcan quickly checked the records. “Yes, it is the same energy.”

“The one that powers up the transporter shouldn’t have this signature.”

“I agree, Mr. Scott. Let’s find out what this code is, exactly, before running tests on the energy itself.”

“Aye.” Scotty agreed happily. 

Spock gave him a quick look. 

It seemed he had to postpone his meditation. 

***

“The problem is, Captain, we don’t know what kind of information this energy pattern holds. We can’t risk duplicating another crew member.”

“I understand, Mr. Scott. But we can’t get rid of it too. If we let it mix with other energy it may cause more problems. And we can’t exactly erase or delete it, can we?”

Scotty flinched and frowned.

“If the energy is indeed a copy of a crew member? That would be murder, Captain!” his voice betrayed the same feelings Captain Pike had. 

They were on the bridge and other crew members heard their conversation. Sulu was glancing at them every now and again over his shoulder. 

“What options do we have?” The Captain asked, ignoring the way the others were watching them. 

Scotty looked at Spock, who looked back. Pike noticed they were being quiet for a bit too long and turned away from the screen.

“Well…” Mr. Scott started and seemed to be at loss of words. Spock continued, though.

“There is a possibility.” Spock waited for Captain Pike to say anything, but when the human stayed quiet he continued. “If we manage to transfer the energy from shield buffers to the transporter we will be able to read the code and at least determine what information it holds.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“The only possible place for this energy is in the transporter buffer. The same place the beta copy of the transported material is held. If the information is stored for too long in the transporter’s buffer, automatic re-materialization might occur. We cannot redirect the energy elsewhere because it could mix with the power in other circuits and it will be almost impossible to track it and separate it.”

Captain Pike sighed and looked at the screen before him. When he was called to the science lab he expected to hear something more optimistic.

“The transfer to the transporter is very risky, Captain. The information that the code contains can be anything.” Scotty said softly. 

Pike looked at both of them. A Vulcan and a human. Standing there, straight faces and being all professional. But he knew that they were both dying to do this, to read the code and to know what it was. 

This strange energy absorbed other energy and acted as a buffer and a shield by itself, without any other supporting systems. It seemed to act on its own volition. 

Captain Pike thought hard for a moment. If they suspended the tests, the Starfleet scientists will want to test it themselves. The Enterprise would have to turn around and head back to the nearest possible rendezvous point to hand over all the details.

If Spock and Scotty proceed with the tests now, they ship might be in a great danger. Depends on what information the strange energy carries. And Captain Pike had his own suspicions.

“Mr. Scott, can we disable the transporter while transferring the energy.”

“I wouldn’t recommend that. The buffer works between the transporter pad system and the control panel. If it loses the balance, we may face some additional problems.”

“Captain?” Spock knew that expression on the Captain’s face. It was the same one that he saw on Jim’s face every time they played chess, when the human would make a risky move. 

“Mr. Spock, how much time would you have before the automatic re-materialization starts?”

“Approximately five to six minutes. It will not be enough.” Spock watched as the Captain sank back in his chair and pinched at the base of his nose.

“There is another way.” Chekov’s voice cut the silence which fell on the bridge.

“Chekov?” Pike opened one eye and looked at the young navigator.

“The energy left a trace in Enterprise sensors and systems. We were able to find its signature. We can trace it back to where and when it was created in the transporters circuits. This way there will be no risk of re-materialising.”

Pike turned to Spock. The Vulcan nodded.

“Ensign Chekov is right. It is possible to trace the signature back to the origin point and then compare it with transporter logs. This way we will be able to at least determine whose beta copy was stored as energy and the process will be much safer for us and for the ship.”

“Alright then. Chekov?”

“Yes sir?”

“It’s your idea. I want you to assist Mr. Spock.”

“Yes sir!”

***

The re-tracing of the energy’s signature was much longer than they at first expected. They had to check every log backwards, and then find the previous log, just to find out that they need to check the log before, and the log before that one. 

McCoy was one impatient human and he kept bothering Spock almost every day for the next two weeks. Spock could understand McCoy’s impatience. They were supposed to work on ghost-Kirk’s appearance as soon as the matter of the energy is solved, but the tests were taking too long to complete for the doctor’s liking.

“Please, understand, doctor. I am doing everything that I can. Finding out what happened to Jim is also very important for me. He was your friend at the Academy, but he also became my friend.”

McCoy huffed and glared at Spock.

“I believe you, Mr. Spock, but I have a strange feeling that if we don’t hurry up, we will lose Jim forever. And I can’t wait any longer. I need to know if there is anything we can do to help him. If there’s any way we can bring him back.” 

Spock wondered, how was it possible that McCoy accepted Jim’s existence as a ghost so quickly and how easily the other man believed that they could save him.

“Dr. McCoy, if there is even a chance that Jim has an eternal soul, that it is even remotely similar to katra – then it is my responsibility to find it and bring him back.”*

McCoy nodded. They spoke the other day about Jim’s ghost and Spock shared his theory about Jim’s katra with the doctor. But they couldn’t do anything at the moment. Spock was preoccupied with re-tracing the energy signature. 

Even Sulu didn’t make any progress even though he did find all security records from that moment when Spock decided to open the valve himself. The video showed Spock talking to someone in the tube, but the other person was hidden from the camera’s range. 

Sulu rewound the recording slowly, in hopes that they will at least see the man who entered the tube. Unfortunately, about thirty seconds of footage was lost because of an energy spike which must have interrupted the camera’s work at the moment. It happened shortly before Spock showed up at the tube.

Spock asked the pilot to check other cameras, giving the precise date, hour and place of his previous meetings with Kirk. 

“I’m sorry, Commander. It seems that all of the videos were affected by energy spikes in the circuits or other disturbances. There simply is no way to retrieve the video.”

Spock nodded but said nothing. It was an interesting case of energy spikes. 

“Mr. Spock?”

“That will be all, Mr. Sulu. Complete the report and submit it to the Captain.” 

“Yes sir.” 

The Vulcan straightened and turned around to leave the bridge. He needed to meditate, to calm down his thoughts. His mind was full of questions, equations, theories and possible explanations, but at this very moment none of them made sense to him.

Energy spikes were causing the security cameras to malfunction every time he met with Kirk. The same energy spikes started shortly after Kirk’s death. 

Spock frowned. He walked into his quarters and took his boots off. He sat down on the nearest chair and closed his eyes.

Strange energy behavior caused recharge of the engines and it powered up the shields. Energy. It was all about energy which seemed to constantly mess with the ship's settings and circuits.

Spock cleared his mind and started the meditation process. 

***

“Captain, the ship detected an ion storm ahead of us.” Sulu informed.

Pike leaned back on the chair, feeling slightly irritated. Apparently this month was not lucky for Enterprise. Meteor showers, pirate attacks, problems with the shields and now this.

“It’s stronger than the last one we have encountered, but with the shields up we will be safe.” 

Chekov looked at his friend and then turned to the Captain, his face serious.

“Captain, the energy that we’re retracing is still stored in the buffer. If we raise the shields now, the buffer will be reset and we may lose all the information.” 

Captain Christopher Pike closed his eyes and resisted the urge to swear, shout and throw things. He still was the captain. Even if this was the worse month on Enterprise he’d ever had.

“What are our chances without the shield?”

“Without the shields, the ship will be severely damaged. Enough to disable the engines and warp systems. Also it is possible that the ion storm will mess up with life support on the ship.”

“How much time do we have?”

“An hour at most.”

Captain Pike turned to communications station. 

“Uhura, contact with Mr. Spock and tell him to come to the bridge. I believe he will have something to say in this matter.” 

“Yes sir.” Lt. Uhura turned back to her communications panel and hailed Spock’s quarters. 

***

Spock opened his eyes, startled by some strange sensation tugging at his mind. He felt it before, but it wasn’t that intense. Yet, he couldn’t recognize it. It was as if his mind was trying to remember something very important on its own. 

He frowned, closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, concentrating on this single sensation.

It was gone within several seconds. Spock opened his eyes and focused on the matter of the energy with signature of a beta copy. He hoped his mind was clear enough for him to approach the problem from different angle.

He froze when a theory he considered insane and illogical began to make more sense to him now.

“Jim!” he whispered rather to himself and stormed out of his quarters. If his theory was true, then dr. McCoy was right. They had little time to save Jim.

He walked towards the lab that was used to re-trace the energy signature and ignored surprised looks from the humans he passed by in the hallway. 

The lab was empty which was quite fortunate for Spock. He launched the program that was used to re-trace the energy signature and entered a precise time and date to bring up the transporter logs from the very moment when Jim Kirk was being beamed up.

He compared the transporter’s energy flow before and after the failure of the beaming process. Spock squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get his emotions under control. 

He was right. McCoy was right. 

He flinched, startled, when the communicator’s soft sound filled the lab.

“ _Bridge to Spock._ ”

“I’m on my way.” He answered not even bothering to wait for any further orders. He had to talk to Captain right now and nothing was more important than the discovery he has just made.

***

The door opened and Spock entered the bridge.

“Captain, you might be interested in the results of our tests—“

“Not now Mr. Spock.” Pike cut in and waved at the screen in front of them. “We have an ion storm to survive and I’m afraid we won’t be able to avoid it.”

Spock stopped in his track, right next to the Captain’s chair and looked at the screen. He suddenly felt hot wave flowing down his back. Then, it was freezing cold and hot again.

“We can’t raise the shields, Captain!” Spock turned to captain Pike. 

“We have to. The storm is too strong. I’m afraid we will have to abort the tests and save the ship.” the Captain smiled at Spock sadly. “I know that the buffer will be reset and the energy will be erased, but in order to survive, we have to do this.”

“No!” Spock’s answer surprised the Captain and the rest of the bridge crew. It wasn’t normal for Spock to show his emotions an right now, he was almost projecting them to everyone present in the room.

“This energy is a beta copy of a human! This is Lt. Kirk, stored in that buffer!” Spock all but shouted and grasped the chair’s armrest. “We can’t kill him now!” 

McCoy chose this moment to enter the bridge.

“What?” the doctor almost tripped on the stairs and barely held his balance. “Damnit, Spock! What the-“

Pike stood up and walked to the pilot’s control panel. He looked at the screen where the readings and information about the ion storm appeared. He took a deep breath and turned back towards Spock.

“What do you mean, Mr. Spock?”

“The beta copy stored in the shield buffer, is, in fact, Lt. Kirk’s beta copy.”

“Do you know how crazy this sounds?” Pike walked back to Spock and watched the Vulcan carefully. “The beta copy was never created. Kirk dematerialized and all information was lost. Besides, what made you think that it might be him?”

“Ever since the accident, there were multiple malfunctions reported by the crew. Most of the malfunctioning systems and devices did not need any maintenance, as they started working properly shortly after the problem occurred.”

McCoy snapped his fingers, suddenly getting the way the Vulcan was thinking.

“Yes! Yes! The energy spikes, door opening and closing, computers showing wrong information!” the doctor waved his finger at the Captain. “Shields! Arkhnar. Phasers!”

Spock nodded with approval. 

“It all started soon after Kirk’s supposed death. Instead of tracing the signature back in logs, I checked the exact report and readings where the transporter malfunction was logged. The energy with beta copy signature was created exactly when Kirk was beamed.”

“How is that even possible?” Sulu wondered, and gave the Vulcan a quick glance.

“We don’t have time for explanations right now. We have to do something before the storm reaches us. Chekov, check the transporter logs and confirm if Mr. Spock’s theory is correct.”

Pike looked at McCoy, who was shaking with all the excitement. The doctor was probably the only one who didn’t really believed in Kirk’s death. The Captain gritted his teeth. He had to think fast.

“Confirmed, Captain.” Chekov’s voice sounded a bit shaky, but nobody could blame him. 

“Sulu, slow down the ship to full stop. We have to buy ourselves as much time as possible.”

“Yes sir!”

“I will try to transfer Jim from the buffer to the transporter.” Spock said. He was already at his station, starting the process. 

“Good. Dr McCoy – “

“I will prepare medical team and we’ll be in the transporter room in no time.” And with that, the good doctor left the bridge, already on his way to the sickbay.

Pike smiled and nodded. This month might have been the worst in his life, but the Enterprise crew was the best crew he’s ever worked with.

“Captain, the engines are not responding.” Sulu reported. “I’m not able to power them down. The ship will not stop.”

“Emergency power down.”

“Non responsive, Captain. The Enterprise is flying on her own.” 

Shit. 

“We’re gaining speed.” The pilot’s voice held a small amount of panic. 

“How much time before we’re in the storm’s range?”

“At this speed?” Sulu did quick calculations. “We have less than ten minutes.”

“I am having serious difficulties with extracting Jim from the buffer. He’s resisting.” Spock said, and his fingers squeezed the edge of the science panel. The process of transferring Jim to the transporter was more similar to a game of hide and seek between Spock and the energy still stored in the buffer.

Chekov’s gasp attracted Pike’s attention.

“Captain, shield activation sequence has just started.”

“It’s Kirk.” Sulu whispered. “But what is he doing?”

“He will die if the shields are activated!” Chekov hit the controls trying to abort the sequence but with no success. 

“No.” Spock growled and almost slammed at the controls on his panel, desperate to get any response from the system.

“The ship gained more speed. We’ll be in the storm’s range within 40 seconds.” Sulu reported.

“Sulu!” 

“I’m doing all I can, Captain but the ship simply does not respond to any commands. Kirk has control over it right now.”

“He wants to kill himself.” Chekov said quietly. “He doesn’t know we can save him.”

Spock stopped torturing the science station and turned in one swift move towards the main screen, where he could see the shield activation sequence was completed.

“No! Jim, no!” he whispered. 

The shields activated and several seconds after that they were hit by the first wave of the storm.

Spock felt helpless. 

The buffer was reset. Any information stored there was lost.

“The engines stopped.” Sulu reported. “We’re in the middle of the storm.”

Spock didn’t know if it was logical to hate shields that protected them, but he didn’t care right now. He hated the shields with all his Vulcan heart.

“Mr. Spock, I believe you would like to see this.” Chekov’s voice interrupted Vulcan’s thoughts. He really didn’t want to see anything at the moment, but he approached the navigator anyway and looked at the readings.

“He didn’t want to kill himself. He wanted us to bring him back.” The Ensign looked at the Captain and explained. “The ship performed a scan for lifesigns on its own. It detected one lifesign stuck in the shields.”

Spock’s heart swelled suspiciously. 

“Captain,” he said calmly. “I know what he is planning. We have to remain in the storm’s area for as long as possible.”

“I don’t understand.” Pike shook his head and pinched the base of his nose. “Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?”

“Jim is energy right now. He’s an intelligent energy. He left the buffers split second before the shield activated. It will be much less complicated to extract him from the shields.” Spock turned and walked towards the door. “If you would accompany me to the transporter room, sir?”

Pike turned to the pilot.

“Mr. Sulu, you have the conn. Hold the position inside the storm’s range and wait for further orders.”

“Yes sir.”

***

McCoy was already in the transporter room when they arrived.

“What’s taking you so long, Spock?” To say the doctor was nervous would be an understatement. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the tricorder he was holding.

“We’re in the middle of the ion storm.” Spock announced and powered up the transporter.

“What?”

“As I have already explained to Captain Pike, Jim took over the Enterprise and led us here, so that we could extract him. He’s in the shields right now and I believe he will come on his own to the transporter circuits as soon as they are activated.”

“Spock, you said yourself we’re in the middle of the ion storm. We can’t use the transporter. It will not work!”

“That is correct, doctor. And this is the exact reason why Jim needs to be transferred right now.”

Spock grabbed his communicator and hailed the engine room.

“Mr Scott, please cut off all the circuits on the way from shield generator to the transporter room.”

“ _Aye, commander Spock!_ ”

“I think I understand.” Pike said slowly and turned to McCoy to explain. “As far as I understand, Kirk is a bunch of energy mixed with beta copy from transporter room. We can’t rematerialize him like that because the energy might interfere with particles which determine Kirk’s body.”

The transporter’s control panel lit up as the power flowed through the circuits. Mr. Scott announced shortly that all the interfering circuits and systems were separated from the main route which Jim should be taking. 

Spock disabled the transporter’s buffer, and Pike carried on.

“The ion storm is the only moment when a certain amount of data can be stored in the transporter’s circuits without the risk of automatic re-materialization. Like you said, the transporter will not work and only here we can separate the beta copy from the energy that carried it for the last year or so.”

“Exactly, Captain.” Spock nodded and McCoy raised his eyebrows.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” 

“ _Captain, we have detected changes in the shields. The energy, the lifesign, it’s flowing through shield generator’s systems into Enterprise’s internal circuits!_ ”

“Thank you, Mr. Chekov. Do not interfere. That’s an order.”

“ _Yes, sir!_

McCoy resumed the nervous drumming on the poor tricorder. Captain Pike clasped his hands behind his back, just like Spock did on multiple occasions, but he couldn’t stop himself from snapping them every several seconds.

Spock looked at the two humans standing right next to him and raised an eyebrow, fascinated by their nervousness. 

A short noise made by the control panel was the signal that the energy was successfully transferred to the transporter’s system.

Pike took the communicator and hailed the bridge.

“Mr. Sulu, what’s the status?” 

“ _The shields are holding. No immediate danger so far, Captain._ ”

“Thank you, Mr. Sulu. Carry on.”

“What now?” McCoy barked. It was more than obvious that the doctor couldn’t wait for Jim to be rematerialized.

“I need to separate the energy from the beta copy it carried.” Spock declared, and his eyes never left the control panel.

“What are the chances that it will work?”

“If Jim’s signature is separated from the energy, it will be approximately 97,35% of chance that Jim will rematerialize intact.”

“And if it’s not separated?” McCoy asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“I cannot predict the results in this case, Doctor. Jim might be rematerialized but his body might be damaged. Or his mind, or he might not rematerialize at all. But I believe none of this will happen. Separating beta copy from the energy is a quite simple process. However…” Spock fell silent and kept working on the energy stored in the system.

“However?” Pike queried.

“Beta copies hold only the information the transporter gathered when Jim was dematerialized.” The Vulcan’s hands stilled on the console and he looked at the Captain and then at the Medical Officer.

“Jim was a sentient and intelligent mix of lifeform and energy. He was conscious and able to make his own decisions. Anything that happened since the accident with the transporter, any memories and experiences, are held by the energy.

“Simply speaking, when Jim rematerializes, he will have no memories of the past year. For him it will be just as if the transporter never malfunctioned.”

McCoy felt sudden sympathy for the pointy eared hobgoblin. There was only Jim, only one person the Vulcan could call a friend, as far as the doctor was aware. And Spock was losing the friend any way, dead or alive, it didn’t matter.

“Is there any other option?”

“No.” Spock answered shortly and his voice was amazingly calm and collected.

“ _Captain, the storm is moving on. It’s too fast for us to keep up._ ”

“Thank you, Mr. Sulu.” Pike turned to Spock. “What about the beta copy?”

Spock nodded and activated the transporter pad. 

“I’ve successfully separated it from the energy and it’s already saved in the buffer. We can leave the storm’s area.”

“Mr. Sulu, thrusters on full. Take us away from the storm.”

“ _Yes sir!_ ”

They felt the ship shaking slightly from the effort to leave the storm, and suddenly everything calmed down.

The transporter pad powered up and they saw a figure appearing before them.

“Jim!” McCoy gasped.

Lt. Kirk rematerialized and fell to the ground, unconscious. 

“Jim!” McCoy was on the pad in a heartbeat. Even Spock couldn’t be that quick, but the First Officer followed the doctor anyway.

Spock kneeled next to the man lying on the floor of the pad. Jim looked exactly the same as he remembered. Maybe he was a little bit paler, but Spock didn’t notice any other differences. Even if Jim’s ghost was his hallucination, it was an extremely accurate hallucination.

He managed to brush Jim’s fingers with his own before medical team barreled in and took Kirk to the sickbay.

***

They were in McCoy’s office, waiting for the doctor’s report on Kirk. “How is he, doctor?” 

“Still unconscious. But otherwise, he’s fine. I assume that such a long time spent as a pile of energy was a little bit too much for him and his nervous system was a bit overloaded, so to speak, but he will recover. Quite soon, I presume.”

“Mr. Spock, what’s the status of Enterprise systems and circuits?”

“Surprisingly well, Captain. No further malfunctions were reported. Also, the energy spikes stopped at the same time when Lt. Kirk was rematerialized.”

“So what happened in the first place? What caused all this problems?” Pike asked, and McCoy looked expectantly at the Vulcan. Spock tilted his head and cleared his throat.

“The transporter had been upgraded shortly before you, Doctor, and Lt Kirk were scheduled to be beamed up to Enterprise. The upgrade was processed incorrectly and it caused a buffer lapse exactly in the moment when Lt Kirk was being beamed. The beta copy was created, but it was saved in the circuits as an energy. It all happened within 0.012 seconds but it was enough to save the beta copy in the wrong place. Once the buffer was restored, it looked as if all the data was lost. Lt Kirk existed as an energy, locked in the circuits.”

“So why didn’t he try to get out sooner? Why did he wait so long?”

“He simply was not able to do it sooner. If not for Arkhnar’s attack, he would be still imprisoned in the ship’s systems. There was no direct connection between the shields systems and the rest of the Enterprise. When we tried to transfer the energy from the transporter to the weapons, the action opened a route to the shields. Jim took advantage of that, saved the ship and gave us a chance to save him.”

“So,” McCoy started. “This thing with ion storm was also Jim’s plan?”

“Not all of it. We would be able to extract the beta copy eventually, but the storm was an obstacle. At least I considered it to be an obstacle. Lt. Kirk saw it as an opportunity. Very original thinking, I must say. Even if he doesn’t remember it now.”

“Sounds like Jim all right.” McCoy commented. "What about the ghost you said you were playing chess with?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to answer your question, doctor. There is a slight possibility that humans posses something distinctly similar to Vulcan katra. It is, however, difficult to prove. Some Vulcans have telepathic abilities. It is much more probable that I could see Jim's image because of my abilities. Still, I am unable to determine what happened exactly." 

Pike smiled softly and averted his gaze from the two men sitting on the other side of the table.

“So, no more ghosts on the Enterprise, huh?”

McCoy sighed and smirked. 

“I have to admit it was fun to have a ghost on the ship.” The doctor murmured.

Spock looked at them and agreed silently. The ghost of James T. Kirk made him feel happy, even if it was only for a short period of time. 

“ _Doctor McCoy, Lt. Kirk has just woken up._ ” Chapel’s voice came through and broke the easy silence which fell between the three men in the office.

They all rushed to the sickbay, anxious to see Kirk awake. Spock stayed one step behind the captain and the doctor, knowing that Jim will not recognize him.

“Bones!” The Lieutenant was struggling with nurse Chapel. She tried to make him lay down while he tried to get up.

“Damnit, Jim!” the doctor snapped but he was grinning and soon he enveloped Jim in a hug that knocked air from Kirk’s lungs. “Good to see you, kid.” 

“Whaa-?“ 

Nurse Chapel stepped away from the bed making space for the Captain and the First Officer.

Jim frowned when captain Pike slapped him on the back and said “It’s good to see you alive, Lieutenant.”

Lt. Kirk lost all his will to fight with nurses and fell back on the bed, frowning at McCoy.

“Bones, what’s going on? You look like shit, man.”

McCoy barked a short laugh.

“But it’s not me lying on the bed in the sickbay.”

“Would you mind telling me what the hell happened? One moment I’m in the transporter, ready to be beamed up and the next one I’m in the sickbay. Was there a transporter malfunction?”

McCoy snorted.

“You could say that kid.”

***

Jim Kirk stood at Spock’s door, not really sure if he would be welcome here. He heard some pretty strange stories about his supposed deaths (plural!) and about how he saved the ship and then he was saved by the Vulcan scientist. 

He still couldn’t get over the fact that it was actually one year later, that he was beamed not only in place, but also in time. How creepy was that? And they were saying something about ghosts and stuff, and Kirk really stopped listening, because this was just too much for him.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Enter.” He recognized Spock’s deep voice coming from behind the door. 

The door opened and he stepped hesitantly into Spock’s quarters. 

It was hot inside, but Kirk could manage. He stepped further inside and the door swished closed behind him, cutting off any possible escape. 

“Lt. Kirk. What can I do for you?” Spock stood in the middle of the room, his hand clasped at the small of his back.

“Actually, I…” Kirk started but he forgot what he wanted to say as the Vulcan stepped closer. Not close enough to shake hands, but still, it was pretty close. 

“They say you saved my life. I wanted to thank you.”

Spock tilted his head slightly.

“It was not just me.” He answered. “Mr. Scott, Ensign Chekov and Lt. Sulu also had their share in saving you. You should thank them as well.”

“Yeah, I already did that.” Kirk rubbed the back of his neck. Man, this was way more difficult than he expected. “The thing is… They all say that if not for you, nobody would be able to do anything to help me. So, thank you. I owe you, big time.”

“You’re welcome, Lietenant. But remember that you saved the ship, even if you do not have any memory of that. I would say we are even, as humans put it.”

Spock didn’t show any emotion, but Jim could bet his life that he saw something change in the other mans’ eyes. He smiled at the First Officer and held out his hand.

“Okay, we’re even.”

Spock nodded and reached out to shake Kirk’s hand. 

Jim felt extreme warmth of the skin beneath his fingers and he felt an outburst of relief and hope building up in his chest. It calmed down when their hands disconnected, but the hope was still there, although he was pretty sure it wasn’t his own emotion. He frowned mentally and noted to himself to find as much information on Vulcans as possible.

“So, Bones says you play 3D chess. I thought… Since I’m off duty for three more days, maybe we could have a game or two?”

Spock tilted his head.

“That would be most welcome, Lieutenant.” He answered and Jim grinned.

“Tomorrow sounds okay?” Jim had a distant feeling of Déjà Vu.

“Tomorrow sounds perfect.” Spock agreed. 

And it was. It really was.

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _"Dr. McCoy, if there is even a chance that Jim has an eternal soul, that it is even remotely similar to katra – then it is my responsibility to find it and bring him back."_
> 
> This sentence is a shameless remix of Kirk's words in 'Star Trek 3: Search for Spock.'
> 
> Also, fixed the dramatic overuse of the word "simply" as compared to the original post. It was simply too much. ;)


End file.
